The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-02-09

guish the flames. The ice was several inches
thick on the river and there were no appli-
ances at hand to raise it,
MIR. TEwKsBURY's EXPERIENCE.
HENRY w. TEwKsBURY of West Ran
dolph states that he was in the first day
coach. He was doing at the time but was
aroused by feeling the car he was in jump
ing upon the railroad ties. Tew ksbury had
been in two railroad accidents before this
and knew what this sensation portended
Realizing at once that an accident was about
to occur he Jumped from his seat, with the
intention of making his escape. The train
seemed TO come TO standstill or to be going
very slowly. He thought that 1t was all
right, and so sat down again. Then, with
out moments warning that anything
further was to occur, the car seemed to leap
into space, and then came "A terrible crash.
For a moment he was stunned and scarcely
knew whether he was dead or alive. He
tried to move, but found that he could not
bulge an inch. He noticed, with great
alarm, that fire had broken out at the
further end of the car. He struggled with
all his strength to free himself and screamed
for assistance, but there was no one at hand
to help him. 1t was a time of mental torture,
but still he could not help noticing an
old couple who were a few seats above
him. They sought to get out, but they were
hopeessly tied down by heavy seats. The
flames approached the couple with frightful
rapidity, and the aged pair seemed to APP
preciate that there was no hope for them.
The last he saw of them they were locked
in each others arms, and were kissing each
other fond goOd-by on this earth-to meet
together in another world. Then the smoke
and flames enveloped them, hiding them
from Mr. Tewksbury's view. United in
life, they were not separated in DEATH Mr..
Tewksbury then gave himself up for lost.
Somehow or other his mind seemed todwell
ha nha "a nf la
not think of his life, but thought that his
eyes were about to be burned out of his
head 1t made him shudder. He seized his
fur cape and wound it around his face so as
to cover his eyes and hide the view of APP
preaching death At that time the railroad
bridge above him was all afire and heavy
burning tmbers were falling all about him,
but by some seeming miracle he escaped
being hit Having laid back resignedly to
meet his fearful fate, his hopes of life were
renewed again by hearing voices. He UNI
wound his fur cape and saw the engineer
and fireman close at hand. He called to
them frantiCally for assistance, and they
came to him at once. They seized hold of
him and sought to pull him out. They
made a desperate attempt and failed and
thinking that his was hopeless case, they
were about to leave him and help others
He begged them to try again, and break his
legs if necessary. They did so, and managed
to get him out by breaking his leg and arm.
The flames were so close upon Mr.. TewlIs-
bury that his clothing was burned from his
body. Mr.. Tewksbury is quite a noted
lecturer on the " Battle of Gettysburg" and
lectured in Windsor Friday evening. He
was on his way home and was taken there
on a bed.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
WORK was begun on the wreck at day
break Saturday morning, and during the
day five bodies were recovered-all of them
/ htrrpn hnN
could be ascertained, four of the bodies
were those of men and one was that of a
woman. The body of one man was taken
from the water who was burned to a crisp
in places, but a small portion of his under
clothing remained and 1920 were found
sewed under the band of his drawers. This
was the only thing that could identify the
body. Bank bills We're floating on the
water in great number, and large amount
of jewelry, watches, etc, were found on or
near bodies. 1t was impossible to identify
the remains in most cases except from Jew
elry, watches, lunches of keys or wallets,
aud as these, especially in the sleepers,
were generally scattered about, the diff
Guilty of identification was rendered all the
greater. When the relief commission
| reached the scene of disaster the wounded
were found scattered, and it took some time
to get them into more permanent and suit
! able quarters. OF the wounded, fifteen
were taken to the Junction House at White
River Junction, ten to Pease's Hotel in
Hartford, five to the Paine cottage near
the scene of the accident, and there We're
also several at houses in the immediate
vicinity. One of the many sad incidents
was the finding of the remains of man
with a child in his arms both burned be-
yond Identification. Another equally affect
ing incident was that of a Canadian who
was accompanied by his little boy. The
boy was able to get out of the wreck, but
the father was held by the timbers of the
already burning car. He gave TO his son
all the valuables about him which he could
get at, including his watch, pocket-book,
etc, and was burned to cinder
LATER STATEMENTS.
ACCORDING to later statements, more or
less official the rear car, as was shown by the
position of the cars after they fell, left the
! track about thirty rods southeast of the
bridge, caused by the breaking of one of
the axles nearly in the middle of this car,
! the two pieces of which have since been
found. There are marks and cuts on the
ties made by the ends of the broken axle.
! When the bridge was reached this car went
over the side and pulled with it the other
sleeper and passenger-coaches, which fell to
| the ice, forty feet below. The cars were not
piled one upon another, but were strung
along nearly in a straight line with the eX-
ception of the two last cars, which lay nearly
side by side. The first that the engineer
twenty or thirty rods from the bridge, but,
being unable to stop, the train ran upon the
bridge and the rear car made the fearful
plunge and pulled the other coaches with 1t.
He left his engine almost at the instant, and
| with a lantern and shovel slid down the
bank to the river below, where he and the
fireman did all in their power to assist the
imprisoned passengers The other train
men We're soon on the scene, and to these
men and the few passengers in the smoker
nearly all the rescued owe their lives.
CONDUCTOR BEAN of the Boston & Lowell
road brought thirty-siX persons to White
River Junction having tickets for points be-
yond the Junction. OF these, sixteen were
in the Pullman car. Conductor Barrett OF
the train from Springfield brought up to
White River Junction thirty persons hay
ing tickets for points beyond Bethel, OF
whom twelve were in the Springfield Pull
man. At White River junction two per-
sons took the Pullman. There were four oil
five children on board not having tickets
There was one mail agent and nine train
men on board-making a known total OF
eighty-two or eighty-three persons on the
train. To these would be added any pas
sengers that took the train at White River
Junction-probably a small number, as the
hour was after midnight, and those, if any
having tickets for the two stations between
Hartford and Bethel. In view of these hg
ures, the railroad managers do not estimate
the total number of persons on the train al
over ninety, perhaps not over eighty-five.
ID. w. PREV of Providence, r. l., was